pólvora

Catalan

Alternative forms

• pólvera

Etymology

Inherited from Old Catalan polvora, polvera, from Late Latin pulvera, neuter plural based on Latin pulvis m. Doublet of pols < *pulvus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central) [ˈpol.βu.ɾə]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic) [ˈpol.vo.ɾə]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [ˈpol.vo.ɾa]

Noun

pólvora f (plural pólvores)

1. gunpowder
2. (in the plural) powder (cosmetic)

Derived terms

• polvorer
• polvorera
• polvorí
• polvorista
• polvoritzar

 

Related terms

• pols
• polvoró

References

• “pólvora” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

Further reading

• “pólvora” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.

Galician

Etymology

First attested in the 15th century. From Spanish pólvora, from Old Catalan polvora, polvera, from Late Latin pulvera, a neuter plural based on Latin pulvis m. Doublet of po < *pul(v)us.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpɔlβo̝ɾa̝/

Noun

pólvora m (plural pólvoras)

1. gunpowder, powder
   • 1457, F. R. Tato Plaza, editor, Libro de notas de Álvaro Pérez, notario da Terra de Rianxo e Postmarcos, Santiago: Consello da Cultura Galega, page 171:

     Torre de Rriãjo. O que rreçebeu Gonçaluo Mariño de Fernando de Catoyra cõ a casa e fortalesa de Rriãjo. Primeyramẽte: Húa cadea de ferro cõ seu cãdado e çinco farroupeas e dúas esposas. Hũas coyraças. Tres huchas. Tres ballestas: J de aseyro, IJ de pao. Quatro baçinetes. Hũu trono cõ seu serujdor e hũu fole de póluora. Dos carcaixes de biratõos. Hũu torno de armar ballesta.

     Tower of Rianxo. What Gonçalvo Mariño received from Fernando of Catoira, together with the tower-house and fortress at Rianxo. First: an iron chain with its padlock and five fetters and two handcuffs. Some cuirasses. Three chests. Three crossbows: one of steel, two of wood. Four bascinets. A bombard with its server and a skin of powder. Two quivers of bolts. A winch for charging crossbows.

References

• Joan Coromines, José A[ntonio] Pascual (1983–1991) “polvo”, in Diccionario crítico etimológico castellano e hispánico [Critic Castilian and Hispanic Etymological Dictionary] (in Spanish), Madrid: Gredos
• Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, Ana Isabel Boullón Agrelo (2006–2022) “póluora”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Xavier Varela Barreiro, Xavier Gómez Guinovart (2006–2018) “póluora”, in Corpus Xelmírez - Corpus lingüístico da Galicia medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: ILG
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, editor (2006–2013), “pólvora”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega [Dictionary of Dictionaries of the Galician language] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, editors (2003–2018), “pólvora”, in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Rosario Álvarez Blanco, editor (2014–2024), “pólvora”, in Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega, →ISSN

Portuguese

Etymology

From Spanish pólvora, from Old Catalan polvora, polvera, from Late Latin pulvera, neuter plural based on Latin pulvis m. Doublet of pó < *pul(v)us.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈpɔw.vo.ɾɐ/ [ˈpɔʊ̯.vo.ɾɐ]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈpɔw.vo.ɾɐ/ [ˈpɔʊ̯.vo.ɾɐ]
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈpɔw.vo.ɾa/ [ˈpɔʊ̯.vo.ɾa]

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈpɔl.vu.ɾɐ/ [ˈpɔɫ.vu.ɾɐ]

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈpɔl.vu.ɾɐ/ [ˈpɔɫ.vu.ɾɐ]
  • (Northern Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈpɔl.bu.ɾɐ/ [ˈpɔɫ.βu.ɾɐ]

• Hyphenation: pól‧vo‧ra

Noun

pólvora f (plural pólvoras)

1. gunpowder, powder
   • 2018, “Corra”, performed by Djonga:

     Éramos milhões, até que vieram vilões / O ataque nosso não bastou / Fui de bastão, eles tinham a pólvora / Vi meu povo se apavorar

     We were millions, until villains came / Our attack wasn't enough / I had a club, they had gunpowder / I saw my people panicking

2. gunpowder tea

Spanish

Etymology

Most likely borrowed from Old Catalan polvora (first attested in Spanish c. 1350), from older polvera, from Late Latin pŭlvĕra, neuter plural based on Latin pulvis m. Compare French poudre or Old Occitan polvera, poldra, porba. Doublet of polvo < *pulvus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpolboɾa/ [ˈpol.β̞o.ɾa]
• Rhymes: -olboɾa
• Syllabification: pól‧vo‧ra

Noun

pólvora f (plural pólvoras)

1. gunpowder

Derived terms

• frasco de pólvora
• gastar la pólvora en salvas
• juegos de pólvora
• no haber inventado la pólvora
• oler a pólvora
• polvorilla

 

Related terms

• polvareda
• polvera
• polvo

 

Descendants

• → Aragonese: polvora
• → Galician: pólvora
• → Portuguese: pólvora
• → Tagalog: pulbura
  • → Tausug: pulbura

Further reading

• “pólvora”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), 23rd edition, Royal Spanish Academy, 2014 October 16

• “pólvora”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2024